Best VPN for Accessing Betfair from Abroad

If you like to gamble online, then you’ll likely have noticed that many gambling sites are based in the UK. Whether you want to play online poker, blackjack, or you’d rather place bets on sporting or other events, some of the broadest selection of games and the best offers for bets can be found on British sites like Betfair. This is because the laws about online gambling are relatively lax in the UK, so many online gambling sites have set up shop there. One of the appealing aspects of Betfair in particular is that users can place bets against each other instead of betting against the site, which makes it more fun and interactive. Though there’s also the traditional fixed odds betting available if you prefer that.

Something that you’ll notice, however, is that you can only access Betfair from certain countries. If you live abroad or are travelling to another country, you might not be able to access the site. We’ll go into more detail about why this is below, but here’s the essential info: Betfair is currently only licensed in the UK, Gibraltar, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, and Malta, though you can also get an account from other countries including Russia and Japan.

If you try to access Betfair from outside of one of these countries, you’ll find that the site is blocked. But there is a way to get around these restrictions to let you use Betfair when you’re travelling or outside of the UK, and that is using a VPN. We’re going to explain how that works and then recommend you the best VPNs for accessing Betfair from abroad.

Is Online Gambling with Betfair Legal?

The laws around online gambling are, as you can image, both complicated and varied depending on which country you are in. As we stated before, the UK has relatively relaxed laws about online gambling, so as long as you’re over 18 then you’re probably okay to gamble online. Other countries have much more severe laws about gambling: in South Korea, for example, not only are most forms of gambling forbidden to citizens within the country, but citizens are not even allowed to gamble when they visit other countries!

On the whole, you should be careful when accessing online gambling sites and learn about the laws in your region. But there are good reasons that you might want to use a VPN to access a site like Betfair. For example, in Portugal, Betfair is not illegal and online gambling is allowed. However, the process for obtaining a license for a site to operate within Portugal is long and tedious and in Betfair’s case is still ongoing. So if you live in Portugal, you are legally allowed to use the site but it is still currently blocked. In this case, a person in Portugal could use a VPN to access the Betfair site and gamble legally. In other cases, a South Korean citizen would be breaking the law if they used a VPN to access and gamble on the site. It’s important to inform yourself about your local laws before you start gambling.

How You Can Use a VPN to Access Betfair

If you’re not currently located in one of Betfair’s licensed countries, how can you use the site? The answer is with a VPN, and to explain how we’ll have to talk first about IP addresses. When you connect your device to the internet, whether that device is a desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet, you’ll be assigned an IP address by your ISP. This IP address is a unique string of numbers which refers to your device and only to your device. Within that IP address is information about your geographic location.

When you visit a site like Betfair, the reads your IP address and works out which country you are located in. It can do this because particular ranges of IP address numbers are assigned to particular countries. When you are within the UK and you visit Betfair, the site checks your IP, sees you are in the UK, and lets you use the site. If you’re outside of the UK and you try to use the site, the site can see from your IP address where you are accessing it from and will block you if you’re not from an approved country.

Here’s how you use a VPN to get around this: a VPN works by installing a piece of software onto your machine which encrypts all of the data that you send over the internet. This encrypted data is sent to a server in the country of your choosing, where it is decrypted and sent on its way to its original destination. When you do this, you are assigned an IP address corresponding to the server you connected to rather than your home network.

This means that if you use a VPN to connect to a server in the UK, you’ll have a UK IP address and you’ll be able to access UK-only websites wherever you are currently located in the world. You just need to start your VPN software, connect to a server in the UK, and you’ll be able to use Betfair.

How to Choose a VPN

It’s simple and easy to use a VPN. But choosing a VPN provider can be rather more complicated! There are so many VPN providers that it can be tough to pick one. We’ll share some recommendations with you on the best VPNs for Betfair below, but first here are the factors that we use to assess VPNs and to pick the best ones:

Plenty of servers including ones in the UK. You need servers in the UK to access Betfair, and it’s helpful to have lots of servers in many other countries too to let you access content from any country that you want. You can use this same VPN technique to watch videos on BBC iPlayer or to get around regional restrictions on services like Netflix or Hulu.

Fast connections. Because of the way they work, any VPN will inevitably slow down your internet connection to some degree. We look for VPNs which are fast enough that you’ll barely even notice that they’re there.

Easy-to-use software. You’ll need to install the software from your chosen VPN provider in order to use the service, and so we look for software which is well designed, easy to use, and which has useful extra options like IP switching or a kill switch.

Software for many platforms. We also look for software support for multiple different platforms so you can install and use your VPN on every one of your devices with just one subscription.

Good privacy options. Most importantly of all, we look for VPN providers who will protect your privacy with a no logging policy, which means they’ll never turn over your data to law enforcement or any other company. We also want to see industry standard strong 256-bit encryption to stop your data from being read by outsiders.

Our Recommended VPNs for Betfair

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has a reputation for having the fastest connections in the VPN game, making the service a joy to use. The software is well made, attractive, and easy to use, and has support for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, which are the simplest way to use a VPN in your browser to access Betfair.

The server network is massive, with over 1000 servers in 145 locations in more than 90 counties including the UK, and there is a handy speed test feature which you can use to identify and connect to the fastest server possible. The company uses strong 256-bit encryption and has a no logging policy so your privacy is guaranteed.

If you’d like to try ExpressVPN, we have a special offer which is exclusive to Addictive Tips readers: If you sign up for the yearly plan, you’ll get an extra three months for free, bringing the total to just $6.67 per month. This includes a 30-day, no-question-asked, money-back guarantee, so you can try out the service risk free.

IPVanish

IPVanish is another favourite here at AddictiveTips thanks to its lightning-fast connections, which let you browse freely and without any annoying loading times. The network covers roughly 850 servers in 60+ countries including the UK so you can use Betfair with this service. The security is as strong as we’d hope, with 256-bit encryption and a great no-logging policy.

The software supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and has bonus features like a kill switch to stop you from accidentally using an unsecured connection, and IP switching and DNS leak protection for ultimate security.

If you want to try out IPVanish, we have a special offer which is exclusive to Addictive Tips readers! You can get a huge 60% discount on the yearly plan, which works out to only $4.87 per month. There’s even a 7-day money-back guarantee so you can buy in confidence.

NordVPN

If you’re a frequent traveler, then NordVPN is the VPN service for you. The network spans a total of more than 1000 servers in 60 different countries including many in the UK so you’ll be able to access Betfair.

This service has particularly good security, with double data encryption and strict no logging policy which will keep you safe and your data private. You’ll find NordVPN software for Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android, plus an extension for the Google Chrome browser.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN is the top choice for users who are really serious about security, and for those who are living in or travelling through China. That’s because as well as a no-logging policy, VyprVPN has a special Chameleon protocol for encryption which encrypts not only the data itself, but also the metadata such as the origin and destination of the data packets. This means that it can get around VPN blocking protocols such as those used by the Chinese government to create The Great Firewall. If you’re in China and you want unrestricted internet access, or if you care about being as secure as possible, then this is the service you want.

The server network covers more than 70 countries including the UK, so it’s easy to use Betfair, and the software supports Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, and Android TV.

THREE DAYS FREE: If you’re interested in VyprVPN, the special deal available is 50% off for the first month, in addition to a free trial for 3 days.

PureVPN

If all this talk of VPNs is a bit confusing for you and you just want the simplest possible way to get a VPN, then you should look at PureVPN. This service comes with a bundle of other security software so that you can cover all of your cyber security needs with one easy-to-use package.

The bundle includes a VPN with strong encryption as well as software for ad blocking, malware protection, anti-virus software, and web filtering. This means you can set everything up and browse the internet with certainty that you are safe and protected.

As for the VPN itself, you’ll get access to a network of 750 servers in 140 different countries, including the UK, so it can give you access to Betfair. The software supports Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, and Android TV, and there are also easy to use browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

CHEAPEST DEAL: To save money on PureVPN, you can take advantage of a 73% discount on the two-year plan, for a total cost of $2.95 per month, with a seven-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

Betfair is a popular site for betting against other users as well as for taking part in traditional fixed odds betting. It is based in the UK and has a large user base there. However, the site is only useable from certain countries. If you’re travelling outside of the UK, then you might not be able to use the site.

We’ve shown you how to use a VPN to access the site from anywhere in the world, and we’ve recommended a selection of VPNs which you can use. Whether you’re looking for speed, security, flexibility, or ease of use, any of these VPNs will get you access to Betfair so you can get back to your bets.

Do you have any tips for accessing Betfair from abroad? Is there another method that you use? Let us known about it in the comments below!